Laundry-pin releaser



March 18 192.4,

J. EVANS LAUNDRY PIN RELEASER Filed vApril l0 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Patented Mar, 18, 13924.,

JOHN EVANS, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

LAUNDRY-PIN RELEASER.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN EVANS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake,

State of Utah, have invented a certain new articles belonging to each individual are identified by the use of ordinary safety pins attached to each article and containing an identification mark. After the laundry has been washed, the articles are assorted by the operator placing upon a selected rod all of the laundry pins bearing a certain identification mark, and these laundry pins attached to the laundry articles slide downwardly and outwardly on these rods and stand collected at the outer end'of the rod. Considerable time and effort is required on the part of the operator to individually release all of the safety pins by hand, and heretofore attempts have been made to provide means for simultaneously releasing a set of these safety pins at one operation. These devices have not been successful so far as I am aware in solving the entire problem, because they attempt to release the pins by pulling upon the garments, which tends to tear the garments.

The object of my invention is to provide a device in the nature of an attachment that may be readily, quickly and easily applied to the frame of a laundry assorting reel of the class described, and when the laundry pins with the laundry articles attached thereto stand collected at the lower end of the assorting rod, the operator may readily and easily examine, count and identify them, and then readily, quickly and easily by the manipulation of a single lever release all of the safety pins, thus releasing the laundry articles so they may drop into the operators arm, and at the same ime having the pins all stand collected upon a detachable pin holder, whereupon the assorting rod may be removed from the device and then the pin collector may be removed and the pins collectively placed in a suitable receptacle without being individually handled by the operator at any stage of the proceedings. I

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: i Figure 1 shows a top or plan View of a portion of an assorting reel frame with an assorting rod therein, and my improved pin releasing device applied thereto. In this view there is shown a number oflaundry pins in position within the releasing device.

Figure 2 shows an inverted plan view of same. The dotted lines illustrate the movement ofthe releasing lever.

Figure 3 shows a transverse, sectional within the" keeper and also showing by dotted lines the keeper moved to position for releasing the laundry pin from it. 3

Figure 6 shows a side elevation of a part of the laundry pin releaser frame with a laundry assorting rod in its upwardly inclined position as in use, and also showin a series of laundry identifying pins on sai rod with the laundry articles supported by the-pins. Said view also shows the, laundry pin releasing device attached to the frame; and

Figure 7 shows a sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 1 with the pin collecting device removed from the pin releasing frame, and shown in position slightly elevated above the pin releasing frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I

I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate that portion shown of the laundry reel frame. These are usually made of hollow metal tubing and are substantially circular in form. 11 indicates one of the laundry asserting rods, the lower end of which is usually supported in the frame member 10, and its body portion is extended upwardly and inwardly toward a common center, and means not shown are provided for supporting the upper end of the rods.

The safety pins herein illustrated and described are of the form now in common use for laundry identifying purposes, and are substantially the same in construction and mode of operation. as the ordinary commercial safety pins, except that there is provided on each pin a metal plate at 12, which usually carries an identification mark. In t 1e drawings I have used the reference numeral 13 to indicate the pin point, 14 the pin .body portion, and 15 the pin point.

keeper. In safety pins of this kind there is usually provided at the central portion of the pin point keeper a guard plate 16, which extends from the body portion 141 toward the center of the pin point keeper, the inner end of which stands spaced apart from both sides of the keeper 15, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

My improved device is in the nature of an attachment that may be readily, quickly and easily applied to any of the ordinary laundry asserting reels, and it comprises a base 17 designed to be secured'to the frame member 10 by bolts 18. Formed on this base 17 are two arms 19 and 20, which arms are spaced apart from each other, and the arm 19 is curved away from the arm 20 at its upper inner end at 21. The arm 20 is pro- 'lClQfl with corresponding curve at 22. The base 17 is formed with an opening through which the rod 11 may be extended into the frame member 10, as illustrated in. Figure 2. The arm 19 is provided on its face adjacent to the arm 20 with a downwardly extended flange 23, and the arm 20 is provided on its side adjacent to the arm 19 with a downwardly extended flange 24, the latter flange being extended downwardly a short distance, as clearly shown in Figure 41.

These flanges 23 and 24 stand spaced apart from each other a distance slightly less than the distance between the pin point 13 and the pin body 141 of the laundry asserting pins to be used with my device, and this means that when pins are placed upon the rod 11 and moved downwardly to position between the flanges 23 and 2 1, they cannot extend at right angles to the arms, but must be inclined to about the angle shown in Fig ure 1, the purpose of which will hereinafter be made clear.

In the inner face of the arm 19 I have formed a shoulder at 25 inclined downwardly and toward the frame member 10 and beveled on its face adjacent to the memher 10, as clearly shown at 26 in Figure 1, and formed in the base 17 adjacent to the arm. 19 is a notch 27, shown in Figures 1 and 7. This notch inclines downwardly and away from the frame member 10, and a limiting pin 28 is positioned adj accnt to the lower end of the notch 27.

The pin collecting device comprises a plate 29 having one end inclined and beveled at 39 to engage the shoulder 25, and its other end is inclined and beveled at 31 to fit in the notch 27 and be supported on the pin 23, and attached to one face of this plate 29 is the pin collecting arm 32, which. arm is secured to the plate 29 at its end adjacent to the frame 10, as shown in Figure 1, and it stands spaced apart from the plate 29 throughout the rest of its length. Its end farthest from the base 17 is beveled or inclined, as shown at 33 in Figure 1, and its face farthest from the arm 19 is intended to lie flat against the adjacent side of the assortinn; rod 11, as shown in Figure 1.

Mounted adjacent to the inner face of the flange 23 is a laundry pin releasing bar 34-. supported at both ends by a bolt 35 which is slidingly extended through the flange 23 so that the bar may move inwardly. On each bolt there is a nut 36 and a spring 37. This springs function is to engage the outer surface of the flange 23 and normally hold the bolt to its outer limit of movement, so that the pin releasing bar 34 normally stands in position resting against the flange 23, as shown in Figure 1, but may be moved inwardly to the position shown in Figure 3.

I preferably secure to the inner face of the pin releasing bar 34, a rubber strip 38 to engage the pin point keeper of safety pins to prevent the pins from slipping relative to the pin releasing bar.

For moving the pin releasing bar, I have provided a concaved lug 39 on the pin releasing bar 341, as shown in Figure 2 and I have mounted on the arm 19 a cam lever 40 having a limiting shoulder 11. This cam lever projects through the flange 23 and normally engages the concaved lug 39. hen this lever is in the position shown by solid lines in Figure 2, the pin releasing bar is held close to the flange 23, but when it is moved to its other limit of movement, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, then the pin releasing bar is at its limit of movement away from the flange 23 and in the position shown in Figure 3.

It is desirable that all of the pins, when they enter between the flanges 23 and 24:, shall assume inclined positions all in the same direction relative to a line at right angles through the arms 19 and 20, as shown in Figure 1, and to accomplish this purpose I have provided on the curved face 21 of l itl the arm 19 a lug 4:2 to engage the part 14 of each pin as it moves to position between the arms 19 and 20, and this lug tends to retard the movement of the part 141: of the safety pin.

On the opposite side and somewhat beyond the lug 42 I have formed a notch a3 in the curved portion of the arm 20, which notch tends to permit the part 13 of the pin to readily swing toward the base 17, while the part 14: of the pin is being retarded. By this means all of the pins, as they enter between the arms 19 and 20, are tilted so they stand. all at the same angle.

In practical use and assuming that the parts are properly assembled, then the operator places all of the laundry pins bearing the same identification mark upon one of the rods 11, and they will then slide downwardly and outwardly by gravity until they reach the curved ends 21 and 22 of the arms 19 and 20, where they will stand assembled. While in this position the operator may readily and easily examine the pins and thereby count and identify the laundry articles. When this has been done, the operator moves all of the pins by a single movement of her hand to position between the arms 19 and 20. Then the lever 40 is manipulated, and all of the pins are simultaneously released.

The manner in which this releasing of the pin points is done is clearly illustrated in Figure 5, in which the pin is shown in section with the part 14 engaged by the pin re leasing bar 3a with its rubber face 38 and the pin point 13 is engaged by the stationary flange 24. ()bviously, when the pin releasing bar 34; is moved in a straight line at right angles to the arm 20, it will move the pin point keeper to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 5, and since the pin point 13 is held stationary during this movement, the pin point is released from the pin point keeper, and when the lever 40 is returned to its starting position, the pin point will assume a position outside of the pin point keeper and the garments supported on these released pin points may then drop by gravity or be pulled bodily from the free pin points.

To remove the pins from the pin collector, I first withdraw the rod 11 upwardly away from its position between the arms 19 and 20, and then grasp the pin collector 32 and bodily raise it and the plate 29 from its position between the arms19 and 20 with all of the pins supported by it, and when this is done, the pins may be readily slid off of the free end of the pin collector bar 32 into a suitable receptacle, and need not be individually handled. After the pins have thus been removed, the plate 29 is replaced and the rod 11 is replaced, and the device is then ready for another operation.-

I claim as my invention:

1. A pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to receive a series of safety pins and to enter between the safety pin body members and point members,two pin engaging members arranged on opposite sides of the bar, one being so positioned as to engage the bodies of the safety pins on the bar and the other to engage the pin point members thereof, and means for moving one of the pin engaging members toward and from the other for releasing the pin points from their keepers.

2. A. pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to receive a series of safety pins and to enter between the safety pin body members and point members, two pin engaging members arranged on opposite sides of the bar, one being so positioned as to engage the bodies of the safety pins on the bar and the other to engage the pin point members thereof, and means for moving one of the pin engaging members toward and from the other for releasing the pin points from their keepers, the space between the said pin engaging members being such that the safety pins on the bar upon entering between the pin engaging members must as same positions inclined relative to a line at right angles to the adjacent faces of the pin engaging members, for the purposes stated.

3. A pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to receive a series of.

safety pins and to enter between the safety pin body members and point members, two pin engaging members arranged on opposite sides of the bar, one being so positioned as to engage the bodies of the safety pins on the bar and the other to engage the pin point members thereof, means for moving one of the pin engaging members toward and from the other for releasing the pin points from their keepers, and a detachable pin collector blade adjacent to one side of the assorting bar to enter the pins with the assorting bar.

4. A pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to receive a series of safety pins and to enter between the safety pin body members and point members, two pin engaging members arranged on opposite sides of the bar,one being so positioned as to engage the bodies of the safety pins on the bar and the other to engage the pin point members thereof, means for moving one of the pin engaging members toward and from the other for releasing the pin points from their keepers, and a detachable pin collector blade adjacent to one side of the assorting bar to enter the pins with the assorting bar, said assorting bar being detachable relative to the pin collector blade.

5. A pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to receive a series of safety pins and to enter between the safety pin body members and point members, two pin engaging members arranged on opposite sides of the bar, one being so positioned as to engage the bodies of the safety pins on the bar and the other to engage the pin point members thereof, and means for moving one of the pin engaging members toward and from the other for releasing the pin points from their keepers, one of the pin engaging members being formed with a lug in the path of the pins on the assorting bar to tilt the pins as they enter between the pin engaging members.

6. A pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to receive a series of safety pins and to enter between the safety pin body members and point members, two pin engaging members arranged on opposite sides of the bar, one being so positioned as to engage the bodies of the safety pins on the bar and the other to engage the pin point members thereof, and. means for moving one of the pin engaging members toward and from the other for releasing the pin points from their keepers, one of the pin engaging members being formed with a lug in the path of the pins on the assorting bar to tilt the pins as they enter between the pin engaging members and the opposite pin engaging member being formed with a notch to aid in said tilting movement.

7. A device of the class described comprising a frame member, two stationary arms fixed to the frame member and spaced apart from each other, an assorting rod detachably mounted between said arms, and spaced apart from both arms, said rod being designed to receive safety pins and support them in position between the arms, and a pin releasing bar slidably mounted on one of the arms below the assorting rod and being desi ned to engage the pin point keeper of the safety pins supported on the assorting rod, and means for moving said releasing bar, for the purposes stated.

8. A device of the class described comprising a frame member, two stationary arms fixed to the frame member and spaced apart from each other, an assorting rod detachably mounted between said arms, and spaced apart from both arms, said rod being designed to receive safety pins and support them in position between the arms, and a pin releasing bar slidably mounted on one of the arms below the assorting rod and being designed to engage the pin point keeper of the safety pins supported on the assorting rod, means for moving said releasing bar, and a rubber strip on the side of the releasasvass ing bar that engages the safety pins, for the purposes stated.

9. A device of the class described comprising a frame member, two stationary arms fixed to the frame member and spaced apart from each other, an assorting rod detachably mounted between said arms and spaced apart from both arms, said rod being designed to receive safety pins and support them in positlon between the arms, and a pin releasing bar slidably mounted on one of the arms below the assortingrod and being designed to engage the pin point keeper of the safety pins supported on the assorting rod, and means for moving said releasing bar, said means comprising a concaved lug on the releasing bar, bolts fixed to the releasing bar and slidingly supported by the arm, springs on said bolts to normally hold the releasing bar toward the arm by which it is supported, and a cam lever supported by said arm and designed to enter the concaved lug, said lever being formed withstop lugs, for the purposes stated.

10. In a device of the class described, comprising a supporting frame, an assorting bar detachably mounted in said frame, a pin collector detachably supported adjacent to one end of the assorting bar, and a series of pins designed to be slidingly supported upon the assorting bar and also designed to slidingly receive and be supported on the collector bar, said parts being so constructed and arranged that pins with garments at" tached thereto may be mounted upon the assorting bar and moved to position adjacent to the frame, and the pins may be opened to release the garments and then the assorting bar may be removed, leaving the pins all supported by the collector bar, then the collector bar may be removed with the pins, for the purposes stated.

11. A pin releasing device comprising an assorting bar designed to enter and support a safety pin, two safety pin engaging members on opposite sides of the assorting bar designed to engage the side members of the safety pins supported on the bar, the space between said safety pin engaging members being such that the safety pin to enter between them must assume a position inclined relative to a line at right angles through the longitudinal axis of the supporting bar, and means for moving one of the safety pin engaging members toward the other along a line at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the safety pin supporting bar.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 30, 1923.

JOHN EVANS. 

